The Deadman’s Slough fire, which has been burning several miles away from Anvik for the last ten days, is now considered contained.

That’s according to a spokesperson from the Bureau of Land Management’s Alaska Fire Service, Beth Ipsen:

“We have two Type-2 emergency firefighter crews, one from Mountain Village and one from Grayling, that are doing mop-up. Basically, what they’ll do is go along in a grid system and check for hotspots, and a lot of times, what they have to do is feel for any kind of hotspot, feel in the ashes, and make sure that hotspot is completely out before we can consider it good, and then, we’ll pull all the firefighters off and put it into monitor status.”

Thanks to some rain in that area over the past few days, Ipsen says it is expected that the remaining personnel fighting the Deadman’s Slough fire will be able to relocate elsewhere, sometime today. According to the Alaska Interagency Coordination Center, at one point there were 96 personnel assigned to this fire.

Even though several of the 57 active wildfires state-wide are currently contained or being “mopped up,” Ipsen says the fire season in Alaska is not necessarily over:

“The northern third of the State hasn’t received that wetting rain; we’ve got some pretty dry conditions on the northeastern section of the State, we’re talking upper Yukon Zone right around the Yukon Flats. But it hasn’t seen the lightning that other parts, specifically the southwestern part of the State, has received. So that’s why we don’t have any fires in those areas, but their conditions are anywhere from very high to extreme.”

]]>http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2017/06/14/some-western-alaska-fires-contained-including-blaze-near-anvik/feed/029813Nineteen New Wildfires Appear in Western Alaska Within a Dayhttp://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2017/06/07/nineteen-new-wildfires-appear-in-western-alaska-within-a-day/
http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2017/06/07/nineteen-new-wildfires-appear-in-western-alaska-within-a-day/#respondThu, 08 Jun 2017 01:30:51 +0000http://www.knom.org/wp/?p=29713Less than three miles away from Anvik, the Deadman’s Slough fire has spread to around 420 acres since Monday. Ipsen says the crew fighting this fire has increased in number and has contained 30% of the fire.]]>

Since yesterday, nineteen new fires have started west of the Yukon River in the Galena zone, an area of about 93 million acres. These latest blazes raise the current number of active wildfires in Alaska to about 50.

Beth Ipsen is the spokesperson for Bureau of Land Management’s Alaska Fire Service. Ipsen says these fires extend from Southwestern Alaska to the North Slope.

“Many of these fires were discovered along the Western coast from Unalakleet to Point Romanof. When Galena sent out an aircraft to fly, it’s called a detection flight,” explained Ipsen. “So, when we get a rash of lightning that runs through an area and it’s not accompanied by a lot of rain, then they’ll fly the area to see if there’s any new wildfires.”

In order to combat 49 currently active wildfires throughout the State, additional smoke jumpers and firefighting resources are coming up from the lower 48. Ipsen says around 20 smoke jumpers from Boise, Idaho, should be in Alaska sometime today.

“We’re also bringing in some of the type-2, emergency firefighter village crews,” said Ipsen. “I know that we should have one from Grayling that will be going out to the Deadman’s Slough fire near Anvik in the next day or two.”

Less than three miles away from Anvik, the Deadman’s Slough fire has spread to around 420 acres since Monday. Ipsen says the crew fighting this fire has increased in number and has contained 30% of the fire.

“We have 33 people on the fire right now, including the eight smoke jumpers and the Interagency hot shot crew that are concentrating on making sure that it doesn’t get to the village. But, now, they are also focusing on putting the fire out,” Ipsen stated.

The National Weather Service has removed the red flag warnings from its website; however, Ipsen says there is still strong potential for more fires to start in these conditions.

“For Interior Alaska, the conditions are near red flag conditions but not quite, but that could always change. And usually, what red flag criteria is, you have to have temperatures of at least 75 degrees, a relative humidity factor of 25% or lower, and sustained winds of at least 15mph. So if you have all three of those at the same time, that’s when you have your red flag conditions.” Ipsen continued, “You can have near red flag conditions if one of those is just a little bit under.”

According to Ipsen, no injuries or building damages have been reported as a result of the fires in the Galena zone or the Deadman’s Slough fire. It is unknown as to when these fires will be put out.

]]>http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2017/06/07/nineteen-new-wildfires-appear-in-western-alaska-within-a-day/feed/029713Wildfires Spread Through Alaska, One Within Miles of Anvikhttp://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2017/06/05/wildfires-spread-through-alaska-one-within-miles-of-anvik/
http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2017/06/05/wildfires-spread-through-alaska-one-within-miles-of-anvik/#respondMon, 05 Jun 2017 23:12:00 +0000http://www.knom.org/wp/?p=29677Deadman’s Slough is about three miles south of Anvik, where a fire, believed to be sparked by a lightning strike, has burnt through about 90 acres. At latest observation, winds were “blowing the fire away from the village, farther south,” says Beth Ipsen with the Alaska Fire Service.]]>

As of this morning, Alaska has over 25 active wildfires burning throughout the State. Two of those fires are located in Western Alaska, one near the community of Anvik.

“Last night, we had eight smoke jumpers parachute into the area, and they have been working on the fire. We also had two fire bosses. These are the smaller, water scooping planes; they look kind of like crop dusters with floats, and they can dump about 800 gallons of water at a time,” Ipsen explained. “And they’re pretty quick, so they just need a nearby source of water and they can do a turn around and dump water on the fire.”

Deadman’s Slough is about three miles south of Anvik, where a fire has burnt through an estimated area of ninety acres since 7:30pm Sunday night.

Ipsen says this blaze is classified as a “full” fire, which means it is close to a community and is a higher priority for the Fire Service.

“That area has a mixture of black spruce and hardwoods. So, when it hits that strand of spruce, it kind of flares up and torches, then it subsides when it hits the hardwood. There’s a strand of hardwood in-between this fire and the village, so if it does hit that strand of hardwood, it would slow down,” said Ipsen, “But yesterday, the wind was blowing the fire away from the village, farther south, and winds are expected to do the same today.”

The Alaska Fire Service suspects that the cause of the Deadman’s Slough fire was lightning.

According to Ipsen, the conditions that allowed for numerous fires to pop up state-wide were weather related.

“We’ve had days of drying and dry, warm temperatures. We have red flag warnings throughout a good portion of Western Alaska, from the Kobuk Valley south to the Kuskokwim Valley. So, we have conditions that are windy. It’s going to be higher temperatures, at least 75° or above and relatively low humidity, so if there is an ignition, if there is a spark, the chances of it spreading rapidly in those areas is high,” stated Ipsen.

Also burning near the Yukon River is a limited fire at Wolf Creek. According to the Alaska Interagency Coordination Center, the Wolf Creek fire’s range is about 10 acres. Ipsen says this fire is expected to burn just in that area. It is unclear how long both the Deadman’s Slough and Wolf Creek fires will burn, but the Alaska Fire Service will continue to monitor them.

Ipsen cautions people to be careful during their outdoor activities so as not to cause more fires.

Around midnight last night, Nome’s Volunteer Fire Department raced down Front Street to meet a fire at the Twin Dragon.

When KNOM arrived on the scene, the Chinese restaurant’s windows were blackened. Concerned citizens huddled on the sidewalk.

As they watched firefighters use chainsaws to cut holes in the roof, concerned on-looker Autumn Falls said the smoke started in the back. “About five minutes ago, it was coming from all the smokestacks in the kitchen. Before [cutting the holes], they relieved some of that smoke.”

As of 12:30 am Friday morning, the exterior of the building had kept its red paint job. The exterior is undisturbed by the flames inside.

With ambulances, fire trucks, and police vehicles created to form a barrier to block off the street, no official statement was made by officials on site as to the cause of the fire or possible injured persons.

KNOM will continue to update this story as details become available.

]]>http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2017/05/26/overnight-fire-leaves-damage-at-nomes-twin-dragon/feed/029475With Nome Aid, Teller House Fire Leaves Damage, But No Injurieshttp://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2017/05/09/with-nome-aid-teller-house-fire-leaves-damage-but-no-injuries/
http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2017/05/09/with-nome-aid-teller-house-fire-leaves-damage-but-no-injuries/#respondWed, 10 May 2017 00:30:31 +0000http://www.knom.org/wp/?p=29258Through combined efforts from Teller and Nome, firefighting personnel were able to enter the structure and contain the fire. According to NVFD, the burnt residence sustained major heat and smoke damage throughout but is still standing and can be repaired.]]>

Last Thursday, a house fire in Teller left six other buildings in danger of burning.

According to the Nome Volunteer Fire Department (NVFD), Teller’s Mayor Blanch Garnie and Alaska State Troopers sent a request to the NVFD after local firefighting equipment could not fully contain a residential house fire. Only armed with 250-gallon cube tanks on a couple of pickup trucks, Teller authorities were worried that the fire would spread and endanger six other nearby structures.

In response to Teller’s request, NVFD deployed six firefighters with 3 Honda pumps, a 1,000-foot hose, and SCBA attack gear into Bering Air King Air and 208 Caravan planes. A second team of firefighters, who were not in the air, drove the 72 miles from Nome to Teller.

When firefighters arrived at 8:45pm Thursday, Teller citizens assisted firefighters in drilling holes through Grantley Harbor, placing a pump, and rolling out the water main line.

Through their combined efforts, NVFD personnel were able to enter the structure to contain the fire. According to NVFD, the burnt residence sustained major heat and smoke damage throughout but is still standing and can be repaired.

No other structures were affected and no injuries have been reported.

]]>http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2017/05/09/with-nome-aid-teller-house-fire-leaves-damage-but-no-injuries/feed/029258Thousands of Acres in Selawik Refuge Ablaze; Origins of Fire Unknownhttp://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2017/04/20/thousands-of-acres-in-selawik-refuge-ablaze-origins-of-fire-unknown/
http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2017/04/20/thousands-of-acres-in-selawik-refuge-ablaze-origins-of-fire-unknown/#respondThu, 20 Apr 2017 19:38:01 +0000http://www.knom.org/wp/?p=28962In the Selawik National Wildlife Refuge, about 30 miles southeast of Shungnak, a fire has burned through almost 2,000 acres since Tuesday morning.

According to Beth Ipsen, a spokesperson for the Bureau of Land Management’s Alaska Fire Service, the fire was first spotted by a training crew who flew over the area around 11:00am on Tuesday morning.

Ipsen says the fire is running through an estimated 1982 acres of tundra and grass but is expected to stop when it reaches a snowpack nearby. The fire is contained in a valley at the bottom of the Zane Hills near the Selawik river.

No injuries have been reported, and the cause of the fire is unknown at this time. Ipsen notes the Alaska Fire Service found snowmachine tracks near the area.

]]>http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2017/04/20/thousands-of-acres-in-selawik-refuge-ablaze-origins-of-fire-unknown/feed/028962Explosion!http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2017/01/06/explosion/
http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2017/01/06/explosion/#commentsFri, 06 Jan 2017 23:19:02 +0000http://www.knom.org/wp/?p=27088A recent incident at KNOM's AM transmitter site is but the latest example of the challenges of operating a radio station in a remote corner of the sub-Arctic.]]>

On December 12, General Manager Ric Schmidt visited the KNOM AM transmitter site to investigate why the back-up generator had switched on.

The site is about 4 miles from the KNOM radio station in Nome. The city’s power is isolated and frequently prone to outages or other operational problems, so the unexplained switch to the generator at the AM site wasn’t too surprising. As soon as linemen restored power to the transmitter… BOOM! As Ric describes:

“I heard a loud bang and ran out the door to see part of the outside power panel engulfed in flames. I grabbed the extinguisher from inside the building and put out the fire… Had I not been at the AM transmitter site when the electricity was turned on, the KNOM AM transmitter building would have caught on fire and possibly (given stiff winds) burned up.”

Ric was unharmed, and the damage was limited to the power panel. The transmitter temporarily operated off of backup generator power, pending replacements for the input and meter. KNOM is working with Nome Joint Utilities to restore operations to normal as quickly as possible.

Your prayer support for the KNOM Mission is always needed and always appreciated. Praise God that Ric was not hurt. Praise God for saving the transmitter. Praise God that the backup generator was serviced just a few days earlier, so it was ready and in tip-top shape!

]]>http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2017/01/06/explosion/feed/327088Trailer Fire In Bethel; Two Bodies Found Insidehttp://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2016/12/07/trailer-fire-in-bethel-two-bodies-found-inside/
Wed, 07 Dec 2016 20:16:27 +0000http://www.knom.org/wp/?p=26613Just before 2am Saturday, the Bethel Fire Department responded to a blaze at trailer 29. After extinguishing the fire, responders found the remains of two bodies inside.]]>

Bethel firefighters have recovered two bodies after a trailer fire in Bethel over the weekend.

Just before 2am Saturday morning, December 3rd, the Bethel Fire Department responded to the blaze at trailer 29 in the city of Bethel. According to Alaska State Troopers, responders extinguished the flames and located the remains of two individuals inside.

A Deputy Fire Marshal based in Anchorage has responded to Bethel to assist Bethel Police with the investigation into the cause and circumstances of the fire.

The identities of the individuals have yet to be released by law enforcement officials.

]]>26613In Emmonak, Need for Repairs is Urgent After Fire Cripples Water System (Updated)http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2016/11/14/emmonak-fire-nov-16/
http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2016/11/14/emmonak-fire-nov-16/#commentsTue, 15 Nov 2016 00:41:34 +0000http://www.knom.org/wp/?p=26283Emmonak residents are still awaiting the arrival of needed replacement parts to fix a vacuum pump damaged by the fire. Mayor Wilbur Hootch has scheduled an emergency meeting for Tuesday night to approve the budget for needed repairs.]]>

This is an ongoing story and will be updated when new information is available.

Tuesday, November 15, 11:45am

After a water treatment plant fire in Emmonak, residents are still awaiting the arrival of needed replacement parts to fix one of two vacuum pumps. Mayor Wilbur Hootch will hold an emergency meeting on Tuesday night to approve the budget for needed repairs.

Current sewage needs are being met by honey buckets.

While water is still running, Hootch says only three of the remaining nine feet in the community water storage tank is usable. He says a failure to fill the tank could be costly.

Hootch says the cause of the fire is a suspected pump overload. The fire damaged the main vacuum pump but did not cause any fatalities.

Monday, November 14, 3:41pm

Emmonak Fire Damages Sewer and Water Systems

A fire in Emmonak has damaged the local water treatment plant.

Emmonak’s mayor Wilbur Hootch says the vacuum pump system and the electrical components connected to it have burnt out. The fire did not cause any fatalities.

Technicians are working to keep community pipes from freezing. To do that, a main storage water tank must be filled. Hootch says a failure to fill that tank could be costly. “If we don’t have enough water level in our 100,000 [gallon] plus storage tank, once our low and high pressure freeze up, we’ll have a major disaster for the whole community of Emmonak.”

City engineers are ordering the replacement parts. If the parts are not available, the system may freeze. If the pipes do freeze, it is unknown how long the town could go without sewer and water. Currently, Emmonak residents are advised to reserve their usage of water and to avoid using flush toilets, since this may cause the sewer to back up into their homes.

Within the next 48 hours, the total estimated damage could exceed one million dollars.

No injuries are reported after three buildings caught fire in the community of Kobuk on Sunday.

Alaska State Troopers were initially notified at 12:51 A.M. Sunday morning, October 30th, that a grocery store in Kobuk was engulfed in flames. Further reports state the fire spread to the store’s storage building as well as to a house located next to the store.

Again, no injuries were reported. Troopers state all three buildings are considered a “total loss.”

Alaska Fire Marshals are joining Troopers in Kobuk to investigate the cause of the blaze. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact State Troopers in Kotzebue.